What Mother Told Me

My hands on her bosom
And eyes on the virgin statue
She made me swear

I will lock my thighs until the price has been paid
Once paid for I will open my thighs for my husband
And wriggle my waist even when it hurts

I will bear children until my husband tires
Once born I must never neglect my husband
For the children's sake
Even when their voices break the still night

I will ensure my husband's food is eternally hot
Even when he has sworn enmity with the farm
And abhors the smell of a busy kitchen

I will prepare his bath water even if to wash
The mingled sweat of another from his body
And the spit of a strange woman from his mouth

[...] Read more

poem by Olalekan Joseph Ajayi
Added by Poetry Lover
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